Nationwide protests in Iran that began on December 28, 2025, after a sharp currency slide and broader economic distress entered a second week as authorities imposed a sweeping internet and communications blackout and security forces moved to intensify a crackdown. A U.S.-based rights group said at least 62 people have been killed and more than 2,300 detained, while exiled opposition figure Reza Pahlavi urged further demonstrations and appealed to President Donald Trump for support as European leaders and the United Nations called for restraint.
What began in Tehran’s commercial districts as demonstrations tied to economic turmoil—including a steep fall in the rial and persistently high inflation—has widened into the most serious challenge to Iran’s leadership in years, with protesters in multiple cities chanting against the Islamic Republic and, in some cases, invoking the pre-revolution monarchy.
Iran’s government imposed a nationwide communications shutdown beginning Thursday night, cutting most access to the internet and international phone calls and making it difficult to independently gauge the scale of the protests or the extent of casualties. Monitoring groups and news reports described the blackout as near-total and continuing into Friday.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei signaled a tougher response, accusing demonstrators of “ruining their own streets” to please Trump and saying the U.S. president’s hands were “stained with the blood of Iranians,” according to remarks broadcast by Iranian state media and reported by international outlets. Iran’s judiciary also warned of severe punishment for those it says took part in violent acts.
Reza Pahlavi, the U.S.-based son of Iran’s last shah, called on Iranians to keep protesting and appealed directly to Trump for help, citing the communications shutdown and the risk of violence against demonstrators. In a televised interview, Trump renewed a warning that Iran’s leaders would “pay hell” if peaceful protesters are killed, and suggested Khamenei may be looking to leave the country.
Because of the blackout and competing narratives from state media and activists, casualty figures remain contested. The Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), a U.S.-based group that tracks unrest in Iran, reported at least 62 dead and more than 2,300 detained, a tally also cited by the Associated Press and Reuters.
European governments and the United Nations called on Iranian authorities to respect the right to peaceful protest and avoid further bloodshed, while state media portrayed the unrest as driven by foreign-backed “terrorists” and highlighted incidents of arson and attacks on public property.
Reports of new clashes continued to emerge from cities across the country, including Iran’s southeast, as activists circulated short videos they said showed nighttime gatherings and chants despite the communications shutdown.
